Railway metal draft.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

R. J. HALL.

RAILWAY METAL DRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A 77'ORNE Y No. 830,318! PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906. R. J. HALL.

RAILWAY METAL DRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG-.6

ITNESSES:

A T'TOHNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. HALL. OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA, ASSI-GNOR'OF ONE- THIRD TO MAR-K H. GASOOIGNE, OF OLARKESVILLE, INDIANA,

AND ON E-THIRD IN Dl ANA.

TO LAWRENCE L. BRADLEY, OF NEW ALBANY,

RAILWAY METAL DRAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4., 1906.

Application filed May 8,1905- Serial No. 259,415-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jeffersonville, in the county of Clark and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Metal Drafts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway metal drafts used on railway-cars for the support of the draw-bars by which cars are coupled and pulled.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a metal draft of sufficient strength to take the place of all wooden or other drafts of the same nature now in use, so as to acquire greater durability, neatness, and facility of construction and utility in railway drafts; second, to provide a means for dispensing with the use of the numerous. long draft-bolts by which the ordinary wooden drafts are fastened to the center sills of cars and also with the bolts which in ordinary use hold the spring-case or other draft-rigging in position; third, to provide means whereby the said drafts may be readily set up, removed, replaced, or any part thereof be repaired from beneath the car to which they are attached without the necessit of going into or disturbing the inside 0' the ear, whether such car be loaded or empty.

I attain the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters refer to similar parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a top View of the right and left metal drafts connected together and detached from all other parts. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the inner side of one metal draft. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of my device through the point where the spring-case is supported from the sills of a car by the stirrup and eyebolts. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of plate which covers the springs and is supported by the bolts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical end and front view of the connection of eyebolts to the stirrups which support spring-plate. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of my device attached to center sills of a car. Fig. 7 is a side view in elevation of my device attached to the center sills of a car.

My device is more particularly described as follows: Letters A A indicate the right and left drafts, which are identical in detail, though each is cast or made complete in a separate piece. In use they are fitted beneath both ends of the adjacent center sills of railway-cars, being similarly placed so as to serve in pairs at each end of the car in the manner indicated in Fig. 6.

The drafts may be secured together by any convenient means; but I prefer the method indicated in the drawings, in which 35 indicates a lug which is cast on the inner face of each draft. These lugs are arranged relatively so that the one entirely overlaps and fits upon the other, and they are bolted together in this position.

The top face of each draft, which rests evenly against the lower face of the center sill of the car to which it is attached, has a timber-key 1 and lugs 2, which fit snugly into openings made in the sill-timber for receiving same, and is also provided with flangesupports 3, which abut the end sill of the car. By means of the said timber-key 1, the lugs 2, and the flange-supports 3 the drafts are prevented from longitudinal or lateral vibration and from eventually becoming loose and insecure.

The bottom or lower edge of each draft terminates in a flange 4, against which the grooves 5 in spring-plate in Fig. 4 fit closely when all the parts are in position.

The outer face of each draft is channeled exteriorly, as indicated at6 in Fig. 7, so as to lessen the weight, but is provided with an upper and lower flange or rib-plate 7 to increase the strength of the draft. The said flanges or rib-plates 7 project over the outer edge of the center sills, to which drafts are attached, so that the eyelets S in their outer edges may receive the eyebolts 9, which support the spring-plate. The flanges or ribplates 7 are strengthened by brackets 10, situated between them.

The inner face of each draft is provided with a spring-pocket 11, in which single or double springs may be used with followers or spring-cases, as may be desired to suit the draw-bar to be attached.

The bearings 12 of the spring-pockets have lateral reinforcements 13.

The rear end of each draft may be constructed in any manner suitable for connecting conveniently to the different body-bolsters used in the construction of railroadcars. When the body-bolster is a solid timber, the draft may abut it with suflicient support over the top to carry the necessary weight securely.

When an open metal body-bolster is used, my device is attached as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. At the rear end of each draft, both. at the top and bottom edges of the inner face, is cast or made lugs 14, which join on a center line when the drafts are in position for use and make continuous connecting-platesv having hole in center for admitting the king-pin, and these connectin -plates rest, respectively, against the inner ace of to and bottom plates of the body-bolster. endrafts are in position, they are secured to the top and bottom plates of body-bolster by short bolts through the outer flanges of draft, as indicated by 16, unless: the center plate of body-bolster is narrow enou h to come between the sides of drafts. T en the plates of body-bolster may be bolted at top and bottom to lugs 14, as in dicated at 17. The forward ends of the drafts are providedwith chafing-irons 18 in Fig. 6, which serve to protect the bolts and to give the draw-bar the proper fiplay to suit the motion of the car. The cha ng-irons 18 rest upon the carry-iron 20 at the end of the car, and the forward ends of the drafts arev first attached by bolts 19, which go throug the chafing-irons 18, carry-iron 20, and deadwood 21. The carry-iron 20 in Fig. 6, which supports the draw-bar, is usually fastened to the end sill of the. car by six bolts. I prefer in attaching my device to use eight bolts, as indicated in Fig. 6, in which bolts 22 pass through the end sill between the lining and siding of the car and bolts 23 pass through the dead-wood 21. The top of the end sill is reinforced by an iron plate 24, which engages the heads of the two center bolts 22 and prevents them fromcutting into the wood and becoming loose. For convenience in removing or connecting from the outside of the car the bolts 22, which pass through the end sill, I suggest that removable slip-boards be made in the siding at the end of the car just above the dead-wood, or,'if desired, a small door may be provided at that point.

The stirrups 25, which pass over and hang upon the center sills to which drafts are attached, support the spring-plate, Fi 4, to which it is connected by means of eye olts 9, which are fastened to said stirrups by a pin 26, having head- 27 and cotter-key 28.

The spring-plate shown in Fig. 4 has rooves 5, which fit closely upon the bottom flanges 4 of drafts, and flanges 29, which rest against lower flanges 7 of drafts when in osition. The eyelets 30 register with eyel ets 8 in lateral flanges 7 and admit eyebolts 9,

which connect the spring-plate with stirrups 25. The bottom of spring-plate, Fig. 4, is channeled to make-it light, but is reinforced across sides and center adj acent-to the eyelets by continuous brackets 31 in Fig. 3.

I prefer to make my device entirely of malleable iron, though it may be made of pressed steel or other iron or suitable metal.

Insetting up my device for operation the stirrups 25 are first put in position in the bottom of the car, the drafts are then fitted to center sills 32 and fastened to the body-bolster 33 and bolted to end sill 34 and deadwood 21 at forward end, and connecting-lugs 35 are bolted together. The draw-bar and springs are then placed in position and the carry-iron 20 is then bolted on, and lastly the spring-plate (shown in Fig. 4) is attached and connected by eyebolts 9 to stirrups 25 in manner indicated.

What I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the center sills of a car, a pair of drafts suitably connected, a single projecting flange carried by each draft, and a pair of spaced projecting flanges also carried by each draft, a spring-plate formed with a pair of grooves to receive said single projecting flanges of the drafts, a pair of flanges carried by said plate to abut one of each of said pairs of flanges carried by the drafts,

the opposite of each of said pairs of draftflanges engaging the center sills, and means passing around said center sills and securing said spring-plate by its flanges to said drafts.

2. In combination with the center sills of a car, a pair of suitably-connected drafts, each provided with a depending flange and a pair of side flanges, one of the latter being for engagement with the center sills, and a springplate engaging the other of said side flanges and said depending flanges and being secured to said center sills.

3. In combination with the center sills of a car, a pair of drafts abutting said sills, each of said drafts having a depending flange, a spring-plate formed to receive each of said flanges and to have its end portions engage said draft-s, and fastening means passin around the sills and engaging the ends of said plate and said drafts.

4. In combination with the sills of a car, a pair of drafts each provided with an inwardlyextending lug, said lugs engaging one another and being secured together, a central depending flange and a pair of side flanges carried by each draft, a spring-plate receiving said central flanges and engagingone of each of said pairs of side flanges, and a connectin means engaging the sills and securing sai drafts and spring-plate thereto.

5. In combination with the sills of a car, a pair of drafts each provided with a dependin flange and aside flange, an element forme intermediate its ends with grooves to receive said depending flanges, and at its ends to abut said side flanges, and means for securing said element to said drafts and sills.

6. In combination with the sills of a car, a pair of drafts each formed with a pair of inwardly-extending pockets, a depending flange on each draft, an element having grooves to receive each of said flanges, and means for securing the ends of said element to the sills.

7. In a draft rigging, two companion draftbeams each havin an integral projection formed on its inner ace and abutting the projection on the other beam, said projections having an opening provided between their abutting faces for receiving a center-pin and I 5 means for retaining said projections in rigid abutment and the major portion of the beams in rigid spaced relation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 20 two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT J. HALL.

Witnesses E. R. ATTKISSON, M. I. HALL. 

